Australian Quilt Market

The weekend was spent in Melbourne at the Australian Quilt Market. This was my first time as a stall holder. I would like to thank all those shops who supported me by buying my patterns. For those who haven't yet ordered but took details, please let me know what type of quilts,dolls, gollies etc you would like added to my blog and I will endeavor to do get them on asap. Thanks to my special friend and helper Jean who accompanied me,  helped set up etc...as well as being great moral support....seeing Trev had to stay behind as "the bowling green called". We had fabulous stall holder/neighbours and caught up with many colleagues in the industry both at the show and the wondeful cocktail party put on by Homespun to celebrate 10 years of the magazine. Forgot my camera so no pics. I also bought many new designer patterns so have those in my shop now.

Old Time Gollies

Old Time Gollies: full photo, see earlier post in Gollie category for details.

Picnic Time For Bears- Stage 1

This is the first stage of my latest bear mystery . The size of this stage (St 1) is 26 x 30". There will be 5 stages to this quilt which will finish at approx a queen sized topper. Pattern: stage 1 only available at present @ $23.10The entire pattern set will amount to $66.00
 Kit: $68.95 O/seas $62.70 plus p&h. Kit includes all fabrics for quilt top, binding, threads, fusible web and buttons. Postage and Handling included within Australia. Overseas: credit card only.

Monkey Business

Raggedy and monkey collection. Pattern: $16.50 Kit: price to be advised.
Postage and Handling included within Australia. Overseas: credit card only.

Ice Cream U Scream

Three dolls, one with attitude after losing her icecream. Pattern: $16.50 Kit: price to be advised.

Postage and Handling included within Australia. Overseas: credit card only.

Too Many Cats

23" doll with cats Pattern: $16.50 Kit: price to be advised.  Postage and Handling included within Australia. Overseas: credit card only.

Christmas Wish List

Pattern for all figures pictured. Pattern: $16.50 Kit: price to be advised  Postage and Handling included within Australia. Overseas: credit card only.

Australian Quilt Market

This coming weekend I am having a stall at the Australian Quilt Market at Jeff's shed in Melbourne. I hope to see my current shop keepers who retail my patterns and meet some prospective new customers.

October newsletter

Li’l Bloke’s 163 View St Bendigo 3550

Hours: Monday- by appointment, Tues- Fri 10-5, Sat 10-2, Sunday- closed

Contact: Ph/fax 03 5443 9195 For overseas customers 61 3 5443 9195

email: lynettehyland@gmail.com Blog:lilblokes.blogspot.com

October 2010 Newsletter

apologies for the delay. Because the 31^st fell on a Sunday, I had to wait to see that all email orders had been included in the competition, combined with the fact that we had our 1^st Grandson’s 8^th birthday celebration at our home on Sunday as well.

10^th Birthday competitions:

Firstly, thank you for supporting my business. There were many, many entries in the birthday raffle and I am pleased to announce that

The winner of the $100.00 Li’l Bloke’s gift voucher is Julie Hurse from Carisbrook. Julie’s voucher is on the way.

The winner of the story about a Li’l Bloke’s design is Dian Glasheen from Grenfell NSW.....(surprise Dian as I haven’t rung you....throat/chest infection has made talking a little difficult), who is the other winner of a $100.00 Li’l Bloke’s gift voucher. Whilst Dian is a very worthwhile winner I was a little disappointed at the number of entries for this prize. I hope that if I offer prizes again you won’t be too shy to enter !!!!

Apologies to Dian for editing, as it was a very detailed story. I loved Dian’s entry as I have always seen my patterns as a springboard for people to use their own imagination to go further.

My first kit was Golly who simply got my imagination rolling. I made my first pair of rock and roll gollies. My gollies sit together so I paint their eyes so they are looking lovingly at one another. But what really got me going was your free standing golly. I made Bobbie and fell in love with him, so I made him a twin sister Then I got carried away again I made them again. The girl likes to hold her dress up in one hand a little to show her knickers as she is a sassy little girl. She has white shoes and socks they are so lovely as a pair .and last but not least I made another standing girl but instead of golly hair she has small white buttons covering her whole head. Your obsessed golly girl Dian

Blog- check it out:- lilblokes.blogspot.com

Workshops I currently hold local workshops on Wednesday evening which are suited mostly to locals. It’s “an anything goes” type workshop with the 6 participants most likely doing 6 different things. I am prepared to take workshops elsewhere. Please contact me if your group would like me to take one.

New Mystery: “Picnic Time For Bears” All kits are now ready. I hope the kits will go out later this week. I have tried to make contact via text with most people re the printing of the very large pattern sheet. A part had to be ordered from the USA and we are told it will be fixed later this week and then it can be scanned and printed. I apologise to the people I didn’t contact by voice.....as I have had no voice.

There is still some room for further takers, but places will be limited with identical fabrics.

Australian price:-There will be 5 stages each priced at $68.95 (No charge for p&h) = $344.75 overall. Overseas price:- $62.70 per stage + p&h ($313.50 overall +p&h)

Tips for this newsletter: choice of embroidery thread. For most of the buttonhole stitch in my designs I use 2 strands of DMC stranded thread. I like the stranded rather than perle no 8 for applique (as some designer suggest) as I feel it is more pliable and therefore “hugs” the appliqué shape better. I do use perle 8 at times e.g. the ground on Stage 1 Picnic Time For Bears.

My favourite needle to use (buttonhole stitch) is Piecemakers Embroidery No 8. They generally retail for $4.50 and have 16 needles in the pack. Another great needle is Applibond which is three to a pack generally retailing for $7.95.

My other tip for embroidery thread is to resist the temptation of cutting the length too long. Whilst this reduces the number of times you need to thread your needle, it will increase tangles when you are working. A good rule of thumb is to measure from the tip of your fingers to your elbow....roughly half a metre.

Future emails: 1. Should you have a friend who you think might like to be on my mailing list, please feel free to forward this on, then if they email me I will have their email address.

2. If you do not wish to receive further emails please contact me also.

Lynn Hyland (Li'l Bloke's)

Retail and Mail Orders:
163 View Street
Bendigo, Victoria
Australia, 3550

email: lynettehyland@gmail.com
blog: lilblokes.blogspot.com
phone/fax: +61 (03) 5443 9195

10th birthday competition

Have you entered my competition ?
Entries close 31st October.
Email me (to lynettehyland@gmail.com)with a photo, and tell about a Li'l Bloke's design you have made. You could win a $100.00 voucher.


The winner will be announced in my October newsletter which I hope to have out late on October 31st.

tenth birthday prizes..last days

The shop is 10 years old !!! Prizes to be won !!!!! Last days !!

Although I have been designing and doing mail order for almost 17 years, the shop is 10 this month.

a. for newsletter recipients only. $100.00 gift voucher prize.

Email me (with a photo) about a Li’l Bloke’s design you have made. You will need to elaborate (a little) on the process and outcome of your project. Entries by end Oct.

a. For customers during October: For each $25.00 spent, go in the draw to win a $100.00 gift voucher to be spent on your choice of any product. Distance no problem as this may be used for mail order.

Both winners will be contacted and announced next newsletter end October

August newsletter

Li’l Bloke’s 163 View St Bendigo 3550

Hours: Monday- by appointment, Tues- Fri 10-5, Sat 10-2, Sunday- closed

Contact: Ph/fax 03 5443 9195 For overseas customers 61 3 5443 9195

email: lynettehyland@gmail.com Blog:lilblokes.blogspot.com

August 2010 Newsletter By the time you receive this email I will be on the Spirit Of Tasmania for a brief interlude... returning Friday. Shop will close at 3 from Tues-Thurs next week.

1. Hope Competition from my ad in Homepsun Magazine.

This competition involved people writing in for the chance to win a “Hope” doll designed by the talented Gini Simspon of Cat and the Fiddle Designs from the USA. The doll was beautifully made by Chris Laubsch who has made several of Gini’s doll designs for my shop. Thank you to all who entered. The winning entry is as follows: Congratulations Marg. Please email me your postal address so that I can send the doll to you.

I would like to win the “Hope Doll” to donate to our local hospital for fund raising. Our Cancer Centre in the Latrobe Valley is very pivotal to the area. The Latrobe Valley has a very high incident of Cancers in all forms, and it is very important for the Community to be able to raise this money for all the extras. Until we got the new hospital 4 years ago people had to travel to Melbourne and in many cases this was a hardship for many.

There is always Government funding for building works but so much more is needed for other things such as equipment etc. The main aim is the comfort of the patients. Some patients travel many miles to get to the hospital for their treatment, and times like this can be very hard, so it is imperative to make them as comfortable as possible. I myself am in this area of care as my Husband is suffering terminal liver cancer, and just living locally can sometimes be difficult. I am very passionate about what I can do to help and the Nurses on staff are all “angels” and wonderful carers.

Marg Dixon (Churchill)

2. Blog- check it out:- lilblokes.blogspot.com I hope to update this more regularly and to begin including the shop stock especially fabrics. It is currently just showing pattern designs (and many more need to be added). These include my own designs, Cat and the Fiddle, Annie Smith & Sweet Meadows Farm cloth doll designs. Please email me with particular requests as to what you want added first.

3. Shop stock....a little shop with everything patchwork !! patchwork tools, books, notions, braids & laces, and buttons, buttons, buttons. I stock many other designs including the best from Australia and overseas.

4. Workshops I currently hold local workshops on Wednesday evening which are suited mostly to locals. It’s “an anything goes” type workshop with the 6 participants most likely doing 6 different things. I am prepared to take workshops elsewhere. Please contact me if your group would like me to take one.

5. New Mystery: “Picnic Time For Bears”

Please find attached the first stage of my new Bear Mystery “Picnic Time For Bears”

The quilt will be at least a “queen size topper”. Stage 1 will be available from mid September.

Australian price:-There will be 5 stages each priced at $68.95 (No charge for p&h) = $344.75 overall.

Overseas price:- $62.70 per stage + p&h ($313.50 overall +p&h)

As always with my mysteries, the first notification is always the cheapest price. This is due to the fact that initial sketches/plans/patterns have been drawn up but the quilt could easily grow and evolve. As this is a mystery quilt a photo of the whole quilt cannot be provided at this stage.

People signing up now (by the end of September) will be locked into the above introductory price even though this will most likely rise. Price includes all materials for quilt top and binding including threads & buttons. Many parts of this quilt also contain a weaveline backing.

* Note: some of the buttons on the flowers will vary as I have used some antique buttons from Trev’s aunt’s button collection...and these cannot be replicated.

It is also advisable to get involved early to ensure fabrics in kits are identical to mine.

Stage 1 Size26 x 30 “...it’s a large block

6. Aussie designers: Amongst some of my stock are these favourite Aussie designers: Hatched and Patched, Lynette Anderson, Birdhouse, Don’t Look Now, Kerry Gillespie, Janelle Wind, Bronwyn Hayes, Natalie Ross, Wattlebee Designs, Country Keepsakes, Hugs ‘n’ Kisses, The Quilted Crow, Gail Pan, Rosalie Quinlan, Melly and Me, Leanne Beasley,Teddlywinks, Busy Fingers etc .

7. O’seas designers: Amongst my favourites are Sue Spargo, Renee Nannerman, Chitter Chatter designs, American Jane, Fig Tree Quilts, Blackbird Designs, Liberty Star,

8. Tip for this newsletter:

When using a light (in color or weight) background fabric, use weave line or whisper weft as a backing fabric. This assists with the stability, reduces fraying, and conceals the carry of threads when doing embroidery e.g. I have used it in the new mystery.

Weaveline is 100% cotton and currently retails $14.50 per metre.

Whisper weft is polyester and currently retails for $8.65 per metre.

9. Future emails:

a. Should you have a friend who you think might like to be on my mailing list, please feel free to forward this on, then if they email me I will have their email address.

b. If you do not wish to receive further emails please contact me also.

Although I have been doing mail order for almost 17 years, my little shop will celebrate 10 years in October. I will have prizes for my email customers !!!

Shop hours in August

Shop hours from Tuesday 10th August to Friday 13th August will be 10-3 instead of the usual 10-5. Saturdays will stay as usual (10-2), Sunday as usual (closed), Monday closed- no appointments during this time.
My apologies for any inconvenience.

Shop still open

Rumors have again become widespread that I am closing my shop.

This is not so !!!!

I will announce any closure on my blog( when that time comes) to let all my valued customers know.

I am not going to have a stall at Jeff's shed ( Quilt and Craft Fair Melbourne) at the end of July this year due to some illness during the year which has left me under prepared. I hope to catch up with many of you in my shop.

Wally

Wally is approx 35 cm (14") 20" tall . His head has side gussets to allow shaping of the cheeks. He has hair made from wool. He wears painted made shoes, or, alternatively these can be done with red fabric as they are set in separately into the legs. His outfit consists of trousers, jacket and bib front.

Pattern: $16.50
Kit: $44.00
Painted faces( package contains fabric for the doll's "skin") are $16.50
Kit includes all fabrics for doll including wool for hair.
Fabrics will differ from the photo shown.
*My doll kits do not contain the filling or the paints.

Postage and Handling included within Australia.
Overseas: credit card only.

Trixie

Trixie is approx 35 cm (14") Her head and body are based on the cookie cutter style. Her face is painted and she has a simple hairstyle made from perle no 5 thread adorned with multi colored buttons.
She wears a felt dress featuring a simple floral applique. Her pantaloons are made from cotton fabric and shoes are painted.

Pattern: $15.40
Kit:$40.70

Kit includes all fabrics, threads and buttons.
Filling and paints are not included.

Teeny Weeny Girlie

Teeny Weeny Girlie is approx 15 cm (6"). Her face is painted and she has a simple hairstyle made from perle no 5 thread sewn into the head and left in loops.
She wears a felt pinafore featuring a gollie button and blanket stitch edging, with an oversized matching felt bow in her hair. Her pantaloons are made from cotton fabric to match her shirt, and shoes are ready made.


Pattern: $15.40
Kit:$35.15
Shoes separately: $8.80
Kit includes all fabrics, threads and buttons.

Filling and paints are not included.

Josephine

Josephine is approx 20 cm (8") Her head and body are based on the cookie cutter style. Her face is painted and she has a simple hairstyle made from perle no 5 thread held in place with a bandana.
She wears pantaloons, a shirt and matching lower skirt which is attached to the pinafore. Her pinafore features simple stitching, and shoes are painted.
My doll was orignally made from calico and painted, but kits contain black fabric for the skin.

Pattern: $15.40- this pattern has card templates ready to begin.
Kit:$38.50
Kit includes all fabrics, threads and buttons.
Filling and paints are not included.

Daisy

Daisy is approx 37 cm (15") Her head has side gussets. Her face is painted and she has a simple hairstyle made from wool which is plaited and tied off with bows to match her dress.
She wears a muslin pinafore featuring a simple pleat and heart button with pin taucks following the shape of the hem. Her pantaloons are made from matching muslin fabric. Her shoes are set in and made from a different fabric.

Pattern: $15.40
Kit:$44.00

Kit includes all fabrics, thread, wool and buttons.
Filling and paints are not included.

Charmin' Bears

Pic to come !!!

This cot quilt is approx ......
You may use all boys or all girls as patterns for both bears is included.

Pattern: $15.40
Kit: $108.70

Kit includes all fabrics for quilt top, binding, threads & fusible web.
Kit is available in colors shown( prints will differ) or blues and yellows.
Postage and Handling included within Australia.
Overseas: credit card only.